100 years ago: Money piles up in city office as Lawrence residents pay poll tax
From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for May 8, 1914:
- “It may be necessary for the commissioner of finance to get a vault or strong box in which to put the money that is rolling into his office. It has been coming in in a steady stream yesterday and today from the receipts of the poll tax. Checks, currency and silver are piled up on the new desk which Commissioner Holyfield has had placed in the room of the city clerk and where he is making his headquarters…. The three collectors who started out yesterday made a good showing. Where a man was willing and ready to pay his road tax the money was taken and a receipt given. To the others a three days notice was given…. The Journal-World got the age limit five years too low in its story yesterday. The years are 18 to 50. Forty-five used to be the limit but a recent legislature raised it five years…. There is just one way to avoid the payment of the tax — by belonging to the militia. The members of the National Guard are not required to pay the road tax. This may cause a hurried application on the part of some who have been hesitating whether to cast their lot with the soldier boys.”
- “Commencing next Monday, May 11th, the State Water Survey Laboratory of the University of Kansas begins an examination of all the wells of Lawrence…. The first collection will be made on Monday afternoon and every other day thereafter for the next three weeks. In that time the laboratory expects to handle at least 2,400 samples.”
- “Two hundred editors, among them Henry Allen, William Allen White, Billy Morgan and Arthur Capper, will start to school again next week. They have already enrolled at the University of Kansas for the first short course for editors ever offered by any State University.”
- “The time for registering for garden prizes has been extended to May 20. It is desirable that a thousand more children register. The age is between 8 and 16 years and the children can register any time. The prizes amount to a good deal in themselves but in addition to this there is the money that can be made out of a garden plot. Better register at once.”
- “Tomorrow in Woodland park will be held the county common school commencement. All the plans have been completed and a large crowd is expected.”
- “The Douglas County Horticultural Society will meet tomorrow with Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Sibley on West Warren street. They will have a picnic dinner. Everybody is invited.”